Empowering teenagers to fight for a more equitable future.

On October 27th, 2022, I had the privilege of delivering the keynote speech at the International Youth Film Festival (IYFF) at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia.

See end of article for complete speech transcript.

Tug

Pull

Scratch

Brushing roughly against my scalp

the mother rakes a thick bristle brush

through her blonde-bleached hair.

Naturally, when people imagine a “feminist” or an anti-sexist, they think of a woman. The word itself literally implies someone of a female gender, and women tend to be the most prominent anti-sexists, founders and evolvers of the movement. Since the issue of gender bias tends to put cis-men at the top of the pyramid, it is only natural…

All little girls’ favorite color is pink,

no room for dispute, or discussion of

individuality.

Little space for fillers of compassion or intensity

nothing worth stuffing my canvas with

There is no color I would rather live in,

or blush I would like to put on my easel.